The Blog

We are just about two months away from the tax deadline. This year (2016) the tax deadline happens to be April 18th, instead of April 15th, due to special a holiday in Washington, DC (“Emancipation Day”). More info here, if you care: http://1.usa.gov/1PzSzZL And for those of our clients in Maine or Massachusetts, you get one additional day because of “Patriots Day”, and your deadline is April 19th.

There are probably jokes to be made about special “Washington DC only” holidays, but I’ll leave them to those with more time on their hands.

Because we are really hitting our stride around here with the tax preparation process, handling a slew of new clients as well as meeting with longtime friends and clients for what, in many cases, feels like a reunion.

We love our clients very much — and not just because they help keep the lights on around here. Specifically, we are so grateful for the honor that we are given to handle these sensitive and weighty matters, such as personal finances and taxes. We don’t take it lightly!

Moving on … tax time can also be the perfect time for you to get other, long-delayed financial tasks accomplished. Especially if you have children (but even if not), there are some things that I want to make sure you consider putting into place ASAP…

Keith Andre’s 3 Steps To Protecting Your Children’s Financial Future And More“The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.” – Jean Paul

When I think about what frightens parents most, seeing their children in a vulnerable position pretty much tops the list — whether it’s at home, at the pool, or any other place in public.

What exacerbates this further is knowing the fear which children themselves feel when they are surrounded by people they don’t know, and aren’t sure what to expect from what their parents have set up for them.

Put the following steps into place, and you’ll eliminate at least some of these dangers…

#1: Identify a Clear Plan for the Care of your Children.
Did you know that 74% of parents have not named guardians? Worse, of the 26% who have, most have made 1 of 6 common mistakes that leave their kids at risk.

When you name short AND long-term guardians for the care of your children, you must give clear guidance to your caregiver and everyone you’ve named to care for your children, in written form. Just by naming these guardians (both short and long-term), your children never have to be put in a situation in which they would be taken out of your home and into the hands of strangers if something happens to you.

An even better step, if your children are old enough for this discussion, is to tell them this plan. Don’t make a big deal of it … you don’t want to frighten your kids at the prospect of your loss. But they’ll feel better knowing that you’ve selected people they can trust and love to care for them well.

#2: Properly Document Your Decisions
Parents often have discussed and agreed upon a guardian for their children and have even made their wishes known to their families; however, not documenting these decisions can result in your wishes not being followed when it really is too late.

You see, if you don’t communicate your wishes in a legally-binding document, you are placing your children in a “free for all”. Without clear legal guidance, every family member has equal priority of guardianship and the decision about the care of your children will be left in the hands of a broken-down court system and some judge who doesn’t know you or your kids.

This legal documentation is particularly important if you intend for a friend to care for your children, as courts will almost always choose a family member over a friend.

Also, don’t forget to leave behind specific guidance about how you want your children raised. Education decisions, healthcare decisions, discipline decisions … these are all things you care a lot about and would want made consistent with your opinions for how your kids are raised.

#3: Don’t Neglect Their Financial Future
Sure, there’s different schools of thought on this issue. Some parents don’t want to overwhelm their children with too much in their bank accounts at once, which is understandable.

But, regardless of how you structure this provision, providing sufficient financial resources for your children’s care is your responsibility. And, as a responsible parent, you must take steps to protect what your children will receive … whether it’s through life insurance, savings or some other means.

To do so, establish a living trust, to receive any life insurance benefits your children would receive, so that they don’t get access to your assets at the age of 18; and make sure your living trust holds on to the title to any assets that would go through probate in the event of your death. And, if your estate is large enough, you will want to think through a wise strategy for handling the tax side of things as well (which, of course, we can help with).

All of these issues are things we can provide direct input to, or refer you to a trusted source if need be. So if you haven’t yet set any of these items into place, you can call us ((972) 548-1040) and say you want to discuss it during the tax meeting, or email us (simply click the button above), and we’ll be in touch just as soon as we’re able.

The IRS will not shut down (Good News) but they are way behind on their work (Bad News). The good ..

Rave Reviews

Search

ANDRE + ASSOCIATES, PC

Our Firm was started by Keith Andre in 1986. He purchased a small bookkeeping and tax business in McKinney, TX. In 1989 he hired his first employee, and now we have eighteen employees and two contract people. As the city has grown, so have we. We value the relationships we have with our clients.